A magistrate court sitting in Isolo has sentenced a 41-year old man, Tunde Taiwo to two years imprisonment for stealing cooking rentals from two different people and selling them to an unsuspecting buyer.
Taiwo was reported to have gone to one Mrs. Christiana Ikelu’s shop at No 7, Chief Dotun Street, Ago Okota, pretended to rent some cooking utensils with the intention of stealing them.
According to the Prosecutor, Insp. Oje Uagbale, Taiwo stole 7 dozens of chair at N180 each valued at N126,000, a gas cylinder valued N13,000, 2 big cooking pots valued at N70,000 and one Burner, N30,000 all summed up to N239,000, properties of Mrs. Christiana Ikelu.
He added that the culprit also visited one Mrs. Joke Fashola’s shop at No 11, Ayeomere Street, Ikotun and stole 2 cooking pots valued at N50,000, 1 size 35 cooking pots worth N20,000, one 12.5kg gas cylinder valued N12,000, two serving trays valued N4,000 and a regulator valued N8,000 totaling N110,000.
Uagbale explained: “When he got to Mrs. Ikelu’s shop, he met her son while Mrs. Ikelu was in the church. He then called her that he was his customer giving his name as Deji, telling her that he wanted to rent those items. She therefore ordered her son to release the items to having paid just N4,000.
“After some days, he refused to return the items and also refused to pick his phone. Then Mrs. Christiana Ikelu reported at Ago Okota Police Station that one person who claimed to be her customer who gave his name as Deji instead of Tunde met her son in her shop and she ordered him to release the items to him on phone.
“The police then traced him with his phone number and eventually tracked and arrested him at Ojo area of Lagos.
“The day he was arrested, another complainant, Mrs. Joke Fashola also came to report the same person for having stolen similar items from her shop.”
During interrogation, Taiwo admitted that he actually stole the items and that he had sold them to one Shefiu Mohammed, who was also arrested and charged to court.
Muhammed told the court he bought the items from Taiwo who claimed to be the owner, adding that he had sold them to various people he could not identified.
Having being convinced that Mohammed bought the goods in good faith from Taiwo when he listed the exact number of items the owners said were stolen contrary to the claim of Taiwo, the Presiding Magistrate, A. O. Teluwo discharged him.
He, however, sentenced Taiwo to two years imprisonment without option of fine.
